I am a pretty big believer in 2 3/4” copper plated 6s. Usually I carry a 20ga but will take the 12 pretty much all of December – that’s when I break out the 3” 4s as my last few shots.
WPAs get blackcloud 4s all season.
Kent 3″ bismuth 5s with an IC choke. Kind of overkill, have to be a little careful about ones jumping at your feet and give them a second but never really had a problem.
20ga 3” all season long, including Dec. Anything from 4s to 6s – I’m not picky. Anyone that tells you that you need a 12 ga to kill pheasants probably just isn’t that good of a shot.
For choke, I’m usually running I/C on the bottom and modified on the top.
You dont need a 12 gauge for pheasants by any stretch but late in the season you can reach out and touch them a bit better with a 12. I run 12 gauge, 2 3/4 5 shot where I can shoot lead. 3″ 4 shot for steel. Modified choke works best for me for the entire season.
12 gauge IC choke with 6 shot lead all season.
Shot a pair yesterday at my in-laws farm. My lab got most the work but the springer pup got out for a bit too.
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No luck in the morning deer sit but scored a bird during a midday dog run at least. Back out to the stand for the rest of the evening.
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Kinda heavy but I carry my 10 gauge with BBB’s that way I know their dead when I get them. Plus the dog gets more pieces to look for.
I’ve probably seen close to 100 pheasants in 3 days while deer hunting from my stand. It’s like a freakin’ game farm out there. Gonna be some good hunting as soon as I’m done deer hunting. 
That’s awesome Gim if you need some help to take care of those invasive species let me know, I will send my boy over you wont have to worry about missed birds with him LOL
Nothing better than pheasant season.
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Amen. Need to get me one of those leather game holders.
Can’t wait to get back out. I go to SD next week.
First time out this season today. Started at 11, was done at 11:43. The ageless wonder and I raised 13 at the first spot and 5 were roosters. They are still pretty dumb out there.
It’s a complete mudhole where I hunt. Standing water in every ditch too. I’ll be looking forward to that colder weather when everything firms up good for some easier walking.
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Good doggie!
Good doggie!
She turns 13 in February. No wheel chair needed. Yet.
Nice Gim. I managed my first limit of the season last weekend. Hoping to get out Sunday then it’s two weekends of extended hunting trips. I’ve hunted central, south central, and SW MN and would say pheasant numbers seem just as good if not slightly better than last year. This is all anecdotal and based on public land.
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Finicky I love that Sioux Quartzite in the photo! Beautiful corner of the state.
I made a pheasant video from South Dakota trip in early November.
Nice Gim. I managed my first limit of the season last weekend. Hoping to get out Sunday then it’s two weekends of extended hunting trips. I’ve hunted central, south central, and SW MN and would say pheasant numbers seem just as good if not slightly better than last year. This is all anecdotal and based on public land.
I have only been hunting once thus far. But I spent a week in my deer stand last week in the same area I hunt birds, and talked to landowners when I asked permission back in September. The DNR road count indicated the area I hunt in central MN was up 70%. I was skeptical of that given how good last season generally was.
Based on what I’ve seen and heard thus far, it’s up that much. Maybe even more. This area did not see the flooding that areas further west did in June during peak hatch though. Perhaps that is playing a role.
I posted this in the annual deer thread, but I also saw a lot of deer and wild turkeys last week when I was hunting. The wildlife as a whole has experienced an explosion like I haven’t seen in many years.
Did you get a deer?
Did you get a deer?
Yes, I filled a bonus anterless tag opening day pretty easily. I did not fill my buck tag though. I saw 16 bucks but 15 of them were dinks and the big one didn’t present a shot.
With these colder temps over the weekend, will it help or hurt hunting? Will it change anything with the birds patterns or locations?
Definitely gonna help this guy. Easier walking. Cattails and ditches will freeze up so I can access those too.
It’s a complete mudhole where I hunt. Standing water in every ditch too.
That doesn’t sound like drought conditions to me! 
Droughts over and harvest is ahead of schedule.
Pheasants will spend more time mid-day in cattails. I noticed alot of cattails are soft if not in about 6″- 12″ of water. Pheasants will be able to run through these with ease.
Cattails are slow to totally freeze and there is always the chance of a soaker. Always hoping the soaker is just part of the boot and not over the top of the boot or worse …
Finding quite a few wounded roosters out there right now. I have two limits in MN without firing the gun.
Cattails are slow to totally freeze and there is always the chance of a soaker. Always hoping the soaker is just part of the boot and not over the top of the boot or worse …
Those are the worst. Ruins the day pretty quick when you step in deep.
With the more drastic drop from Thursday to Friday you should see the birds holding tighter in the morning. Gotta play the wind and the sun though too. If it’s calm and sunny they will head to the fields earlier to warm themselves making your middays more successful as they come back in. Windy and cloudy in the morning, then I’m still expecting them in the thick cover at 9am and holding tighter. I also have some theories on where you’ll find your younger bachelor roosters depending on conditions.
Crawdaddy – harvest is done, right ?
It is so far ahead of schedule that most public hunting areas are now surrounded by a sea of black dirt. Land is tilled twice leaving pretty slim pickings for birds this winter.
Crawdaddy – harvest is done, right ?
It is so far ahead of schedule that most public hunting areas are now surrounded by a sea of black dirt. Land is tilled twice leaving pretty slim pickings for birds this winter.
Yes it is*. That’s just a little ribbing I was giving gim. He posted the usda crop harvest earlier this year and said it was close to the average on timing. Meanwhile I was driving all over hell’s half acre in MN and SD and everything I saw was way ahead of schedule.
*I’m guessing where gim hunts there’s still a lot of standing corn. Sometimes I don’t think they harvest up north until March.
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